Is Landry Shamet the Sixers' key to signing a max player in free agency?

Is Landry Shamet the Sixers' key to signing a max player in free agency?

Landry Shamet may not be the highly-touted first-round selection that fellow Philadelphia 76ers rookie Zhaire Smith is, but he’s looked good so far.

Like, really good.

Although Shamet isn’t a high-flying 19-year-old with absurd unknown upside like Smith, comparing the two would be unfair. No one expects the former Wichita State standout to do what Smith does/will do when he returns from a foot injury. If they did, Brett Brown and the Sixers wouldn’t have selected both players in the first round.

Shamet’s game is knocking down shots, making opponents pay for giving him space and using his shot-making to find open teammates, among other things. During his final year with the Shockers, Shamet averaged 14.9 points and 5.2 assists per game while shooting 48.9 percent from the field and 44.2 percent from behind the arc.

There are obvious reasons why Brown and company are high on the 21-year-old, but as The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor detailed, Shamet’s play could be huge for the Sixers not just this year, but next offseason. And that’s focused around the team’s interest in adding a max player in NBA free agency.

With Ben Simmons and Dario Saric both due for rookie extensions in 2020, this is the final year that Philadelphia, with its current core, can easily create enough cap space to sign a max player. The Sixers would need to renounce their unrestricted free agents, including JJ Redick, to create the required cap space, which wouldn’t be a hard decision if they’re landing a top-tier talent.

Losing JJ Redick would hurt, that goes without saying. He adds much-needed consistency from 3-point range, and in this day and age that can be a vital part of success in the NBA. But as O’Connor detailed, Shamet has the potential to be a different type of playmaker than Redick, while also filling the sharpshooting role for Philly.

Shamet ran Wichita State’s offense and displayed feel for making good decisions as a passer. He isn’t a primary shot creator by any means, but he doesn’t have to be on the Sixers; he merely needs to make defenses pay when the ball swings in his direction.

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Part of me even wonders if Shamet, who can seamlessly operate within an offense on and off the ball, might help fill the void that Fultz left last season better than Fultz can this season.

As he goes on to explain, expectations for rookies are typically tempered quite a bit, but from an upside standpoint, Shamet has provided a reason for excitement. His potential was on display during the preseason, as the 6-foot-5 guard played 17 or more minutes in three of four games while scoring in double figures twice.

Most importantly, Shamet may have found a perfect landing spot with the Sixers and the team is hopeful they hit a home run by drafting him.